


A Christmas Miracle

by AnnabethTheUnicorn



Series: TUiM-Verse [4]
Category: Gravity Falls, ParaNorman (2012)
Genre: Christmas, Dipper is a lovesick dork, Happy Ending, Holidays, M/M, Mabel's Hot Chocolate, Magic spells from a magic book of magic, This was supposed to be a lot fluffier than it turned out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-30
Updated: 2015-12-30
Packaged: 2018-05-10 09:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5579641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnabethTheUnicorn/pseuds/AnnabethTheUnicorn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dipper just wants to go home and sleep a few hours before Christmas morning. And he wants to cuddle his boyfriend. The universe has other plans.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Christmas Miracle

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ksiezniczka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ksiezniczka/gifts).



> Christmas present for my best friend Ana.

~

Dipper knew that negotiating the holidays was always hard on Norman. As much as they both wanted what Mabel called “Mystery Quartet Christmas,” Norman had to at least spend part of their break with his parents and sister. This year, the arrangement was less than ideal. He was taking a redeye flight on Christmas Eve so he could spend the holiday with the Pines’ and the Eve with the Babcocks. 

Which is why Dipper was standing in the airport at one in the morning with two travel mugs - one with black coffee for Dipper, and the other with Mabel’s peppermint hot chocolate, which she’d saved especially for Norman. (Norman didn’t need any coffee. Dipper was hoping he could take Norman home and get him to sleep for a good five or six hours before Mabel inevitably woke them for presents and stockings. He was supposed to sleep on the plane but they both knew that probably wouldn’t happen.)

But if not for the coffee in Dipper’s hand and the excitement whirring through his veins like lighting, Dipper probably wouldn’t’ve been able to keep his eyes open. 

The second he caught a glimpse of that familiar spiky head of hair, however, all traces of exhaustion left his face.

“Norman!”

Those blue eyes he missed so much locked on his own and a smile grew on Norman’s face. Dipper nearly dropped the travel mugs in his rush to get to his boyfriend. As it was, he set them both on the carpeted floor nearby so he could throw his arms around Norman’s middle as the younger boy chuckled tiredly and dropped his duffle bag, hugging his neck. “Missed you.”

“I missed you too!” Dipper was just beaming, the lateness (technically, earliness) of the hour totally forgotten. “Next year I’m gonna go with you to Massachusetts, if your parents will let me.”

“If you wanna spend part of the holidays with the most frustrating group of people on the planet, feel free.” Norman snarked through tired eyes.

“I wanna spend all of the holidays with my adorable boyfriend, that’s what I want.” Dipper smiled warmly. Norman gave a soft laugh and bent over a little to rest his head on Dipper’s shoulder the way he sometimes did when tired. Dipper held him closer and tenderly kissed his forehead. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

When their hug finally ended Dipper snagged Norman’s duffel bag before he could protest, and handed him the hot chocolate before grabbing his own coffee. Norman smiled at him and Dipper marvelled at how warm it was despite the obvious exhaustion.

“That’s from Mabel. She insisted we save you some.”

Norman popped the cap and took a long sniff, enjoying the warmth and the aroma. “Remind me to thank her later.”

“Yeeeaaahhh, we’ll see if you still want to thank her after she jumps all over our bed in about six hours.” 

He just took a sip of the hot chocolate and chuckled. “We’ll see.” 

Dipper was so glad to have him here.

~

“You know, this is just my luck.”

“Mm.”

“I mean it. I’m the only person on the planet who could run into traffic while trying to drive home at one in the morning.”

“One thirty-four.”

“And one thirty-four in the morning!” Dipper groaned and leaned his head against the steering wheel for a moment - it’s not like they were going anywhere. “I’m sorry, Norman.”

“Come on, it’s not your fault…” His soft smile was comforting, but the bags under his eyes were not. 

This was so frustrating. Dipper just wanted to get him home and in bed but apparently that was too much to ask. Out the window of Dipper’s shared car with Mabel, rain was pouring down onto the streets where traffic had stopped completely. It was strange, traffic at this hour of the night. But far from the strangest thing they’d seen. “I can still be sorry.” Dipper murmured under his breath as the car radio began to sing the intro to another redundant christmas carol. “What on earth could’ve caused this?”

Norman shrugged. He didn’t have an answer.

Finally the cars ahead of them began to move, slow but sure. Dipper’s noise of relief was loud and ridiculous. It turned into a groan when he recognized the song on the radio. Norman just laughed. 

“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…”

“I guess Piedmont didn’t get the memo?”

“Shut up, New England, you knew what you were getting into when you decided to spend Christmas on the West Coast.”

Norman shrugged. “Actually, I like it better over here…” 

That surprised Dipper. Norman had never said outright that he liked the snow, but Dipper had vivid memories of watching his boyfriend sit in front of their window at Kaufman University, curled up with a blanket and some tea, just watching the snow fall. “You do?”

“Yeah…” He paused. “Less accidents.”

“Oh.” A wave of understanding crashed through him. People caught out in the snow, people who crash their cars in the snow, people slipping on ice and… Norman didn’t need to spell it out. No snow meant considerably less new ghosts over the holidays. 

The car was still meandering forward along the road, but they were getting close to the end of it. Dipper could see the place where only a single lane was open. After that the road was clear. 

It was hard to experience a sense of foreboding while cheery songs about chestnuts and sugar plums filled the car, but Dipper could tell something was off. Very off. 

They neared the end of the bumper-to-bumper traffic and something was up with Norman. He was staring out the window - his view mostly blocked by the torrent of rain - the mug of hot chocolate forgotten in his hand. Dipper snuck glances of him while still focusing on the road. 

“You okay?”

“Hm?” Norman didn’t look away from the window. “Uh, y-yeah…” He didn’t sound sure.

As usual, there was a reason. The moment they’d gotten past the place where the lanes were cut off, Norman gasped.

“Pull over!”

“What?!”

“Pull over! Pull the car- Pull the car over. Please!”

He didn’t have to hear it again. Dipper steered the car to the side of the road before stopping it completely, confused. “Norman, what-?” He didn’t have time to finish the question before Norman undid his seatbelt and jumped out of the car into the rain. “Norman?! Wait! You-!” Dipper struggled to undo his own seatbelt, quickly grabbing his coat from the trunk before venturing out into the rain. “You don’t even have a raincoat! Where are you going?!”

~

The car. He’d seen a very blurry version through the window of Dipper’s car. Up close it looked far worse. Not that he could get very close with police and firemen and other officials all circling it. But he did see the blood on the windshield. The limp, pale hand sticking out of the mangled car door. 

He wasn’t the only one watching. 

The green glow lit up the dark night, mere feet from where Dipper had parked the car. The man stood watching as his body was extracted from the vehicle.

“I’m telling you, you have to get it from the dirt before the bag gets muddy!” The ghost was desperate, crying out. Norman noticed that his ghostly form was lacking the usual injuries that a car accident like that would cause. Was he dead before the car crashed? “Can nobody hear me?!” 

Norman never knew what to say to the recently dead. More seasoned ghosts knew the ropes and were just glad for someone to talk to. But new ones sometimes didn’t even know they were dead. There was always a chance they’d lash out, thinking he was the grim reaper or something. He stayed back for just a moment.

“It’s already Christmas, there’s only so much time!” The dead man looked like he was on the edge of an undead breakdown. 

“Time for what?” Norman spoke up from a few feet behind the man. The ghost turned, hopeful. “I can hear you.”

“So I’m not dead!” He laughed a huge sigh of relief. “Thank god! What a horrible prank, huh? Some kind of reality TV show or what?”

“N-no, not exactly.” Norman bit his lip, but he couldn’t let the man keep believing he was alive. “I’m so sorry, sir, you’re, um… You’re dead.”

The laughter evaporated. “Then-”

“I’m a medium. I, um. I talk to ghosts.”

“Ghosts.” He ran his fingers through his corporeal hair. “I’m a ghost.”

Norman rubbed his own arm. “I’m so sorry.”

“Norman!” Dipper came jogging from the trunk of the car with an umbrella in hand. “What are you doing? You’re gonna get sick.” 

Norman hadn’t even realised that the onslaught of rain had soaked through his sweater until Dipper wrapped him up in his own raincoat. “I-I’m fine.”

Dipper didn’t let go of him. “What’s going on? What did you see?”

“A ghost.” Was the short answer.

Said ghost didn’t seem to care about any of this. “You can hear me. That means you can help me, right?”

Norman nodded. Dipper watched him carefully.

“...Will you?”

“I’ll do everything I can.”

“What?” Dipper sounded apprehensive, but Norman wasn’t phased.

The ghost’s foggy face set into something like determination. “I was taking gifts home for my children. They were in a purple duffel bag. I saw them slip out and go over that ledge when the car crashed.” He indicated the hillside below them. The car was crashed into a divider, before which was a grassy, muddy slope.

Norman looked at him in understanding. “You mean the crash wasn’t what killed you?”

“No.” The ghost looked sad. “I have- had. I had heart problems.”

“A heart attack?” The ghost nodded. That explained the lack of injuries. Norman could almost hear Dipper’s brain whirring, trying to piece together what was happening from only half the conversation. 

“Can you take the gifts to my house? The- the kids…” His face told the story of a man whose family had been through a lot. Of a family that couldn’t afford presents until Christmas Eve. “They don’t need any more tragedy. I- I don’t want them to associate Christmas with this.”

There was something so selfless in the man’s unfinished business. Something that wouldn’t let Norman say no. “Of course we’ll take the gifts to your kids.”

“Uh, we will?” Dipper looked confused. “Norman, did you forget about the sleep plan? You know, the plan where we got some sleep before Mabel bounced us awake? I thought that was a good plan.”

Norman leveled a dry look at his boyfriend, the effect diminished by his tired blue eyes. “Dipper, the man just died. On Christmas.” So much for less accidents, huh?

“No, I know. It’s just-”

Norman pressed his eyebrows together and gave Dipper the biggest, most vulnerable eyes he could muster, just the way Courtney had taught him. “Please?”

Dipper blushed. Spluttered. Ran a hand through his hair. “Okay, fine, where are the presents?”

Norman hesitated before indicating the slope just beyond the cement divider between the road and the mud.

Dipper frowned. “Come on, seriously?”

~

The bag was soaked and mud-covered from sliding down the hill, but with any luck the carefully-wrapped gifts inside hadn’t suffered irreparable damage. The boys lugged it all the way back up the hill, flashlight in hand. 

“Thank you so much for doing this.” The ghost said sheepishly, obviously noticing the mud-covered shoes and soaked hair.

“You don’t have to thank us.” Norman offered a small smile.

“Yes, he does!” Dipper called from up ahead. Norman just rolled his eyes.

Once they reached the car Norman unzipped it and carefully pulled the gifts out of the mud-covered bag, setting them gingerly in the backseat to dry off. 

There was a long, thin one that almost looked like a roll of red gift wrap with a gold bow atop it. It was only a little soggy on one corner, and the ghost - David, Norman had discovered while they searched for the bag - insisted it wouldn’t make a difference. The name on the tag was “Meagan.”

“My oldest.” David said. “It's a poster for one of the bands she likes. Twenty-One something or other… She’s always wanted a big one.”

Norman repeated all of that to Dipper, who would no doubt be curious to hear anything the ghost was saying. The second was average sized, square, and wrapped up in green. The name on the tag said “Kate.”

“A DVD box set of Star Trek. The original series. We watched it together when she was a kid and we’ve gone to all the movies… I was lucky to find it so cheap!” David laughed.

Norman relayed the message. The last one was the smallest, flatish and only slightly bigger than the palm of Norman’s hand. It was wrapped in silver with a red ribbon.

David didn’t share anything about that one. 

Dipper looked at Norman quizzically. He shrugged. Then all three (well, two and a half) of them climbed into the car and drove, upon David’s instruction, towards the home of Meagan and Kate and the rest David’s family. Incidentally, in the opposite direction of Mabel and Pacifica and the boys’ family.

~ 

Dipper couldn’t help a yawn as the car pulled up to a plain, suburban house somewhere in the Oakland area. The clock on the radio informed him that it was nearing four in the morning. The drive hadn’t been too horrible - no more than twenty-five minutes - but finding that damn bag had taken way longer than he’d’ve liked. 

“Is this the place?” He leaned over the steering wheel to get a better look at the house. 

A pause. He looked at Norman, who was listening to the man in the backseat. Maybe it was just because he couldn’t hear the guy, but this ghost seemed particularly long-winded to Dipper. “Yeah, this is it…” But Norman looked apprehensive.

“What is it?”

Norman sat back in his seat, looking at the house. “This… this isn’t right.”

Dipper was baffled. “What?” They’d gotten soaked, lost sleep, driven completely out of their way for this guy. What exactly wasn’t right?! “What are you talking about, Norm?”

“It’s not right.” He looked so displeased. Dipper didn’t understand. “It’s just not right.” He turned around in his seat again to face the ghost. “You should give them these yourself.”

“Norman, that’s not possible.” Dipper spoke as gently as he could manage. “You’re the only person who can see him.”

“I know.” Dipper saw those blue eyes shifting, thinking, working on something. “But what if…” He looked up at Dipper, a fire behind his gaze. “What if I wasn’t? Just for a few minutes, what if I wasn’t?”

“What, you’re gonna let him possess you?!”

“What if I didn’t have to?”

Dipper sighed. “I love you but you’re not making any sense right now.”

“Dipper, back in Blithe Hollow, after Aggie moved on, for just a moment, the ghosts were visible to everyone. Everybody saw them. So maybe…”

“What, you want to invoke the power of your long-dead ancestor? Norman, I know you wanna help everybody but let's just leave the boxes on the doorstep so we can go home…”

But he was determined now. “No. I want to use that same power to do something similar.” 

Dipper stared, dumbstruck. Norman wanted to use his power? Norman’s never wanted to use his power! He’d barely even mentioned his power since the summer Bill possessed him. 

Norman was focused. “Do you have those books Pacifica gave you last Christmas? I know you try to keep them on you. There was one about spells and magic.”

“Spells and magic?! Norman-”

“Dipper.” Norman’s long, thin fingers closed around Dipper’s own. “Please?”

A heavy pause. “The books are in the trunk.”

Norman pecked his lips and opened the door. 

~

Dipper stared at the spell in the old, leather-bound book. “Could that… work?”

Norman studied the words on the page and Dipper wondered, not for the first time, what the hell he was thinking. “I think it could.”

~

They’d driven the car down the block a bit so they wouldn’t be caught loitering in front of David’s house. Truth be told, Norman was extremely anxious. He’d never attempted to use his ~medium magic~ for anything other than seeing ghosts, which he couldn’t exactly turn off. 

And this? This was some serious magic. Which is why he wasn’t about to start by trying it out on a human.

“Hey, little guy.” Norman squatted down to run a hand over the ghostly form of a stray cat. Her middle was partially flattened by what looked like a car tire. “Wanna help me out with something real quick?” He looked anxiously at Dipper. “She’ll be okay, right?”

Dipper stared back, unsure of how to answer. “I mean… Probably. If we do it right. Either the spell is bullshit and nothing happens or…”

“Right. Okay.” Norman took a breath.

Dipper held the book so Norman could be petting the cat as he followed the instructions, reading the inscription out loud. Dipper helped him with a few of the words. He wasn’t exactly fluent in Latin. Lucky for them, the rain had slowed to a very light sprinkle. Nothing that would damage Dipper’s book. 

He finished and at first nothing seemed to happen. But then the cat, with no flash of light or other obvious indication of success, just seemed to solidify under Norman’s pale hand. He could feel the soft touch of fur against his palm. 

Norman looked up and Dipper was staring at the cat in total awe. He tucked the book quickly under his arm and kneeled down to run his own hand through the cat's fur. “W-wow…”

The cat, for her part, was incredibly pleased with the contact. 

Norman gave a breathless laugh. She was slightly see-through, and seemed to shine in a certain way, but she was solid. Real. The tire streak had vanished. She barely looked dead anymore. 

“Wow.” Norman agreed.

Minutes later, the cat began to vanish, at least from Dipper’s sight. Not long after, she vanished from Norman’s as well.

“I guess she just wanted her head scratched one last time…”

“Norman, this is huge. Do you even realise what you just did?!” Dipper was ecstatic, bouncing slightly on his heels. “That was incredible! And the implications! I-I can’t believe this!”

“I can’t either…” He could barely wipe the grin off his face. But it wasn’t long-lived. The celebration stuttered when Norman tried to stand up and almost immediately stumbled over his feet, the exhaustion hitting him full force as the excitement died down. 

Dipper gasped and caught him, pulling the medium close to his chest. “H-hey… Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“I-I’m okay…” Norman managed to find his footing, but he still felt light-headed. “I guess the spell is pretty draining.”

Dipper put a worried hand against his cheek. “Be careful.”

He managed a weak smile. “I’ll be okay.” 

~ 

“So… so I can hug my kids?!” David was staring at them, disbelieving. 

“Only for about five minutes.” Norman explained.

It was almost five in the morning and just a hint of daylight was starting to appear, though the sun had yet to appear, probably due to the cloudy sky. Dipper still looked worried, but Norman wasn’t about to let that stop him. 

“My god…” He looked floored. Norman didn’t blame him. Hours ago, he’d had to come to terms with the fact that he was dead, and now he had this chance to… say goodbye. “My god.” 

“It’s really not much trouble-”

“It’s a huge deal.” Dipper cut him off. 

“I’ll say.” David agreed. “God… My kids, they… They won’t understand this.”

“They don’t have to.” Norman consoled. “Just tell them it was a Christmas Miracle or something.”

David laughed joyfully. “I will. I’ll do that.” The joy was cut short when they pulled up to the house just as a man was getting out of a police car. He looked absolutely wrecked, his very dark eyes seeming even darker in his despair. Broken. David’s whole face fell when he saw him. “Karl…”

Norman watched the man drag himself to the front door. “Your-”

“My husband.”

He looked back up at the man. The man who had to tell his three children that Dad wouldn’t be back by Christmas. Wouldn’t be back at all. 

Dipper pulled the car up a few doors down. Norman quickly told him who the man was in a whisper. He nodded in understanding before saying,

“Let’s go make ourselves a Christmas Miracle.”

~

Dipper wasn’t sure if he’d ever seen something so amazing as that. Norman had never seemed so laser-focused and confident. And after a tense moment of waiting, a human form solidified in front of him, just like the cat’s did. That had to be David, then. 

He watched Norman carefully, still nervous about the effect the spell had had on the medium last time. But he seemed relatively alright.

“Ready?” Norman asked with a reassuring smile. God, Dipper loved his smile.

David looked apprehensive but nodded. Dipper set down the book and picked up the small pile of gifts to hand them to him. He wasn't sure what to say to a person in this situation. Go get ‘em? Noooooo. Have fun? Not likely. “Good luck!” Shit. Was that a jerk thing to say? This is why he should just let Norman do the talking. 

But David just gave a laugh and offered a thumbs up. “I’ll need it, huh?”

Dipper decided he liked this guy. 

He couldn’t stop himself from taking Norman’s hand as David approached the modest house. They watched from behind some trees and bushes. 

David knocked on the door. 

And Dipper did something he never imagined he’d do. Instead of watching the now-somewhat-undead man greet his family, watching this great stride in paranormal science occur right in front of him… he turned his head. And he watched Norman’s blue eyes light up with warmth and joy on the coldest day in weeks. 

He heard happy laughter and bittersweet tears. He heard the babbling of the three girls and two men, all talking at once. But more beautiful to him was the way those blue eyes he loved more than anything in the universe teared up with cheer and accomplishment. Dipper leaned forward and kissed a stray tear off his cheek. Norman gave a single laugh and wiped his face.

“Dipper, look…”

He tore his gaze away from Norman. The family in front of the house was a jumble of limbs in the most emotional group hug he’d ever witnessed. Dipper caught the tail end of it, as moments later David pulled back and retrieved the gifts from where he’d dropped them in favor of the hug. The poster roll was first. 

The tallest of the girls, who had long, wavy brown hair and a pale face, opened her gift and managed an “Oh, Dad!” before throwing herself into his chest.

The next one was for the slightly shorter girl with silky ebony skin and wild hair that she’d pulled tightly back with a hair elastic. She sniffed and held the box to her chest wordlessly as she leaned up and kissed her father’s cheek, taking her older sister’s hand.

The last girl was much younger, sitting on the other man’s hip. Her hair was a startling red, her face splattered with freckles. She didn’t look old enough to really understand what was happening. She looked happy, and confused.

“Eliza.” David spoke so tenderly as he approached his husband and his youngest daughter. “Eliza, Daddy’s got a present for you, okay?”

She babbled something cheerful that Dipper didn’t completely understand at this distance, but David just chuckled and handed her the small, wrapped gift.

She took it in her stubby fingers and, with a little help, unwrapped the small jewelry box. Inside the box were two silver bracelets, one with a streak of green ribbon through the middle, one with a streak of red.

“This one is for you to wear. Because green is your favorite color.” David helped her adjust the bracelet onto her thin wrist. “It’s a little big, okay? But you’re gonna grow into it.”

She squealed at him with unimaginable joy. He replied with a big, watery smile.

“And this one’s for me to wear, first because you always say Daddy should sparkle…” That earned a chuckle from Karl and the eldest girl. “And so that I’ll never forget my little red girl.” He sniffed. “Okay, love?”

The girl nodded and said “Okay!” Dipper chuckled. Norman smiled at him.

David kissed Eliza’s forehead. He hugged his two older daughters. He kissed his husband. He said goodbye. And he waved to them as they went back inside, watching them until the door shut.

Dipper knew he only had moments left, but there was no doubt in his mind that they’d helped him complete his unfinished business. 

David jogged from the house, towards where the boys stood watching. He took one of their hands in each of his. “I-I can’t even begin to thank you for this!” He said, rushing. “But thank you, so much.” He turned to Norman now. “I-I’d like you to have this, if you’ll take it.” 

The silver and red bracelet in his hand seemed to shine as he offered it to Norman. 

“Oh, no, I-I couldn’t possibly…”

“I can’t take it where I’m going, can I?” David insisted before putting it right in his hand. “Please.”

Norman caved because of course he did. He always would when it came to helping people. “Alright…”

“And think of my little Liza.”

“I will.” Norman’s hand closed over the bracelet. “Thank you.”

“No.” And with that the man began to dissolve in front of their eyes. “Thank you.”

He disappeared. And for a moment the morning was silent, still. Then Norman turned to him, holding the bracelet close to his chest for a moment before tucking it into a pocket.

“...Wow.” Dipper said.

“Wow.” Norman agreed.

And then Norman’s eyes rolled back, knees buckled, the spell having drained what was left of his energy. 

“Norman!” Dipper caught him, like before, but this time his boyfriend was totally limp in his arms. “Norman, come on…” His breathing got quick and panicky as he lowered them both to the wet cement. “Open your eyes, Norm. Wake up for me.” 

He ran a hand down the exhausted medium’s cheek and the younger boy shifted just a little, his eyes fluttering. “Nn…”

“You’re okay.” Dipper wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince. “Come on, let’s get you home…” 

“Dip’r?”

“Yeah, Norm?

“Thanks…”

Dipper laughed. It was unbelievable that this amazing person was thanking him after all of this. “Don’t mention it, okay? Just come home with me.” He helped him stand, pulling Norman’s arm over his shoulder and all but carrying him the few feet to the car. “It’s finally time to rest.”

~

“Wait, so he, like, resurrected the guy?”

“It wasn’t resurrection.” Dipper resisted the urge to scoff at Pacifica’s question. He was seated on the couch as some Christmas special played in the background on their television, Norman curled up under one of Mabel’s knitted blankets with his head in Dipper’s lap. Dipper couldn’t resist running his fingers through all that spiky hair. “It was a spell from that book you gave me last Christmas. It just made the ghosts solid for a little while. That man got to see his family one more time! Say goodbye… It was incredible.” He looked affectionately down into Norman’s face, sleeping peacefully there in Dipper’s lap. “He was incredible.”

“Yeah, yeah, we get it! You’re super duper in love and stuff!” Mabel called from the other couch.

“Mabel, shh!” Dipper gently covered one of Norman’s adorable big ears. He’d always been such a light sleeper. “You’re gonna wake him up!”

Sure enough, Norman started to shift a little in his arms. “Dip?”

Dipper sighed. “Yeah, I’m here. It’s okay, go back to sleep, alright?”

Norman rubbed at one of his eyes. “S’at Mabel?”

He sighed. “Yes, that’s Mabel.”

“Oh.” Norman’s eyes blinked a few times. “Thank you for the hot chocolate, Mabel.”

Mabel all but shouted a cheerful “You’re welcome!” and Dipper laughed out loud, still trying to ease him back to sleep.

“Hey, close your eyes, okay?” Dipper smiled warmly down at him.

Norman just blinked. “I c’n get up…”

“Just a little more sleep. For me?” Dipper kissed his eyelids to get him to close them. “Please?”

“Mm…” He smiled as Norman pretended to be considering it. “M’kay.”

Dipper kissed his forehead. “Thank you.”

~

The End


End file.
